Container



0 Y. WARREN Dec. 5, 1939.

CONTAINER Filed April 17, 1957 INVENTOR. aiey F Warren Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claim.

This invention relates to containers and has more particular reference to bottle carriers for conveniently carrying a plurality of bottles.

The object of the invention is to provide a 5 more generally simplified and efficient carrier which exposes the major portion of the bottle and more particularly its identifying matter to view.

The present invention is an improvement of my co-pending application Serial No. 136,966, flied April 15, 1937, in which bottle receiving flaps project forwardly from the plane of the side wall to grip the side walls of the bottle. The present invention is an improvement on the construction shown in this co-pending application in that the flaps in bottle holding position project inwardly, thereby affording a substantial grip for many types of bottle, and at the same time gripping the bottle at the back so as not to obscure the front of the bottle with its conventional identifying means.

comprehensively stated, the invention is directed to a carrier adapted to receive a plurality of bottles, the carrier comprising a pair of converging side walls with bottle receiving openings formed in the converging walls adapted to hold the bottles securely in place while exposing them to view.

More specifically stated, the invention comprises a structure including a base to afford a footing for a plurality of bottles arranged in groups with converging side walls rising from the opposite edges of the bottom, the plane of the walls intersecting the bottles and having bottle receiving openings preferably with auxiliary bottle engaging flaps normally projecting into the openings and adapted to be pressed inwardly to afford a firm grip on the bottles, the converging walls terminating at their upper ends in upstanding handhold flaps with locking means to lock the terminal flaps together and maintain the shape of the structure.

In the drawing accompanying this specification, several embodiments of the invention are illustrated although it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely for the purpose of affording a clear understanding of the underlying principles of the invention so that those skilled in the art may readily understand it without, however, limiting the invention to the specific details shown therein.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the blank.

Continuing now by way of a more detailed description and referring more particularly to the assembled container as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a base A has upstanding converging side walls B and C preferably rising from its opposite edges and terminating at their upper end in vertically disposed juxtaposed flaps B and C', the latter having registering openings D to afford a handhold for the carrier. The carrier as illustrated supports a plurality of bottles arranged in groups although the invention is not restricted to the particular n her or arrangement of the bottles shown. Th planes of the converging side walls B and C intersect the positioned bottles E and have bottle receiving openings F conforming in shape substantially to the intersected bottle sections so as to restrict movement of each bottle in all directions. The openings F are in practice slightly larger than the bottle section and in order to ensure a tight grip on the bottle while providing a slight tolerance, a plurality of auxiliary flaps G are formed with the side walls B and C and normally project into the bottle openng from the opposite sides thereof, the flaps being pushed rearwardly when the bottle is inserted from the back, when the necks of the bottles are inserted in the opening formed by the tapered ends G and the bottle brought to vertical position, as will be readily understood. Since the fiaps are pushed away from the side walls and project into the container, a larger flap can be used, thereby securing a better hold on the bottle without obscuring the conventional identifying mark usually placed on the body of the bottle. The flaps G, being formed with and normally retaining the flexibility of the material of the container, grip the sides of the bottle while the front and back of the bottles are stopped by the top and bottom of the openings when the side walls are straightened as will be more fully explained hereinafter. If the stock used for the device is not inherently flexible enough to permit free insertion of the bottle, the junction of the flap with the side wall may be scored as will be readily understood. Vertical upstanding fiapsB' and C rise from the upper edges of the side walls B and C as above indicated and are locked together by latch members J and K formed with the upstanding flaps B' and C respectively. When the flaps B and C are placed face to face with openings D in registry, the free end of the latch members J and K are free to swing around a vertical axis through the handhold openings D, so

that the ends may be inserted in their respective keeper openings J and K, the latch member 56 overlapping the edge of the adjacent opening D so as to afford a secure lock, thereby maintaining the upstanding flaps B and C and the walls 3 and C in proper position. The foregoing assembled structure is quickly and conveniently formed from a single blank as shown in Fig. 3 by punching or otherwise shaping the blank and openings therein.

By reason of the comparatively large openings E, the bottles may be inserted expeditiously, the

lower end of the bottles being stopped against the lower end of the openings F. When the tops of the side walls are drawn together and locked in position, the side walls are, in most cases, slightly arced as shown in Fig. 2. When the carrier with its bottles in place is suspended by grasping the handheld opening D, the side walls B and C tend to straighten out so as to also bring the upper end of the opening E into engagement with the neck of the bottle thereby affording a stop against movement of the top of the bottle.

The sides of the bottle are also frictionally gripped by being wedged into the opening F and are thereby held positively in position.

In assembling the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 from the blank shown in Fig. 3, the blank is preferably bent along the scored lines L-L and M-M to form the base and the upstanding converging walls B and C. The bottles are placed in the openings F before the upstanding flaps B and C are locked together, by inserting the bottle necks in the opening formed by'the tapered edges G of the flaps G. When the bottle is uprighted, the pressure of the bottle against the flaps G forces the latter rearwardly so that the flaps press on opposite sides of the bottle and hold it in place. When the carrier is loaded the handhold flaps B and C are brought together thereby drawing the sides across the bottle and slightly arcing the side walls as heretofore explained. When the carrier is lifted by the handheld, the sides tend to straighten and wedge the bottle in the opening.

The foregoing arrangement, by reason of the large flaps, aifords a substantial grip on the bottle.

It is claimed:

1. A blank for portable bottle carriers comprising a side wall provided with a pair of vertically spaced openings and a slit between the openings forming a pair of oppositely disposed flaps disposed between said pair of openings, said flaps adapted to be swung inwardly to merge the said openings into a single opening to be occupied by the bottles, and said flaps being adapted to form gripping surfaces for the bottle when the latter is positioned in said single opening.

2. A portable bottle carrier of the class described comprising a side wall having a pair of openings vertically spaced from each other, a slit extending between said openings, and defining flap-like surfaces bendable in a substantially horizontal direction and having their adjacent edges adjoining along the line of the slit and adapted to provide frictional gripping surfaces for the bottle when the latter, upon being thrust into one of the openings merges the two openings into a single bottle receiving opening and positions said flaps for gripping relation with the bottle.

3. A blank for portable bottle carriers comprising a side wall provided with a pair of vertically spaced openings. a slit in said side wall extending from one to the other of said openings, a pair of swinging flaps disposed intermediate said openings, the said slit defining the inner adjacent boundaries of said flaps, said flaps being adapted to be swung inwardly in a SUbStEIIs tially horizontal direction to open said slit and merge the said openings into a single bottlereceiving opening and said flaps being adapted to form gripping surfaces for the bottle when the latter is positioned in said bottle receiving opening. 7

4. A portable bottle carrier comprising a bottom, side walls rising from opposite sides of the bottom, the free ends of the side walls being adapted to be brought together to form a carrying handle, the side walls including a pair of openings vertically spaced from each other, a slit extending between said openings and pro viding flap-like strips bendable in a substantially horizontal direction and adapted to engage the bottle when the latter, upon being thrust into one of the openings, merges the two openings into a single bottle receiving opening and positions said strips for engagement with the bottle.

5. A blank for portable bottle carriers comprising a middle part and end portions extending oppositely from the middle part and adapted to have their free ends brought together, the end portions in erected position of the carrier having a pair of vertically spaced openings and a slit between the openings forming a pair of oppositely disposed flaps disposed between said pair of openings, bendable in a substantially horizontal direction to merge said openings into a single opening to be occupied by the bottles and said flaps being adapted to engage the bottle when the latter is positioned in said single opening.

OTEY Y. WARREN. 

